The Myth That Is The Overwhelming Majority!

Written by Seuamuli Des Bentin
Wednesday, 04 June 2008
I feel thoroughly worn out this week. It is not an easy task trying to find statistics to support my argument in a discussion paper to be released at the “Ranting Lunatics’ Symposium” later this month, where I will prove how the Samoan underclass known as the “Overwhelming Majority” does not exist! I did not have to go far to find the first clear signs and indisputable proof that the “overwhelming majority” was a figment of the local government’s collective imagination. The Matautu wharf was not covered with thousands of RHD vehicles sent by relatives of the “overwhelming majority” living in New Zealand or Australia. You cannot have relatives in New Zealand, Australia or anywhere else for that matter, if you did not exist. But it was inconclusive. The relatives in New Zealand and Australia may have simply not known or been informed, that the folks here in Samoa were indeed members of the “overwhelming majority” the Road Reformation Bill had been specifically designed for. The “overwhelming majority” must exist because they did send letters and messages of support to the government for their decision to ban all left hand drive vehicle imports and to change the side of the road to drive on from sometime next year. They just might be a shy lot playing “I’ll send one after you’ve sent one!” Or they could be waiting for a government MP to import a fleet of RHD buses before they committed themselves. Hardly the sort of behavior an “overwhelming majority” who had been dying to go work the land but had been held back and disadvantaged by the lack of a vehicle, would indulge in. If the “overwhelming majority” did exist originally, I would say that it has done a disappearing act and executed the early exit clause in their contracts. Why else would the Prime Minister be on the front page of local newspapers pleading with them to order more RHD vehicles? It is highly likely that the realities of owning a vehicle whether left or right hand drive has prompted the “overwhelming majority” to make like the lost Roman legion and disappear. The statistics I required said that only “a handful” of RHD vehicles had arrived since the RHD Bill was passed. This was definitely not representative of an “overwhelming majority”, but the mere fact that “a handful” had arrived meant that I couldn’t twist, ignore or otherwise manipulate the statistics, such as they were, and say with absolute certainty that the “overwhelming majority” did not and never did exist in the first place. But in looking for further evidence to prove my theory for my discussion paper, I came across examples of another group called an “overwhelming number”! An “overwhelming number” of traffic lights in town are not operating, which reminded me of the Traffic Lights Maintenance training course organized by the MWTI Transport Division last year. At the end of the course, the participants were tested on what they had learnt. An “overwhelming number” did not get 100% correct, which might not sound surprising until you add that the test was open book! It may explain why an “overwhelming number” of traffic lights are not operating and have been out of service for a while now. The book may be open on the wrong page! An “overwhelming number” of people were also convinced that the Waratahs would overwhelm the Crusaders last Friday night. We’re already waiting for Robbie to name his Wallabies team! It’s the way things go like writing this before the Scotland 7’s have found a winner, so I will go join the “overwhelming number” of Manu supporters hoping for another championship performance and forget the “overwhelming majority” who are perhaps too busy bashing Doctor Clydesdale to send a RHD vehicle for the family right now. Have a nice one folks! Comments (2) Subscribe to this comment's feed Tuilaepa the gOD aLMIGHTY written by Pe'a, June 04, 2008 This is fact: the god of samoa does as he pleases. He is the first one to have broken the law he enacted. He has already allowed the first LHD vehicle back into the country. Keep this under wrap until the car has arrived and checked out from the wharf, then expose it. ... written by GC, June 04, 2008 I thought all our traffic lights fail at about 7.30 - 8.30am and around 4.30 - 5ishpm every week day? Everybody is distracted by that cop standing in the middle to notice it. Write comment Name Email Title Comment

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